Review: Walther PDP F-Series Pro 4-inch 9mm

I was intrigued when I first heard that Walther had introduced its PDP F-Series Pro pistol. I’ve shot many pistols over the past several years, and seldom have I been disappointed with a Walther.

The company’s PR on the gun was high praise, indeed: “The PDP F-Series PRO is more than just a firearm—it’s a precision-engineered tool that embodies Walther’s commitment to quality.”

“We’ll just see about that,” I said to myself as I sent an email requesting one be sent to me for testing.

The Walther F-Series pistols were originally designed for female shooters (hence the “F”), with a few tweaks here and there to make them easier for ladies to handle. What Walther soon realized, however, was that those tweaks also made the guns ideal for men of many different hand sizes to shoot accurately. Consequently, you’ll be just as likely to see a F-Series pistol in the hands of a male shooter as in the hands of a female shooter. Truthfully, the gun doesn’t know the difference!

The pistol is built around the new F-Series Dynamic Performance Trigger, engineered to provide the crisp consistency needed when accuracy is at a premium. My test gun’s trigger broke at just a hair over 5 pounds. Because of its smaller grip size, that trigger is easier to reach for those with a little bit shorter fingers. Additionally, the gun comes with two extra grip modules so shooters can fit it to their exact hand specifications.

Featuring a polymer frame, the gun has a steel slide with nice serrations fore and aft for easy cocking. Other great features include an aluminum magazine well that makes funneling the three included 18-round magazines with extended base pads into place an effortless proposition and a fairly mundane set of white 3-dot sights. 

While the gun comes optics-ready, I chose to test it with iron sights. I tested the pistol from a sandbag rest at 15 yards with three different types of ammunition—Winchester White Box 115-grain FMJ, 124-grain Federal Syntech Training Match, and, for a self-defense load, Federal HST with a 124-grain jacketed hollow-point bullet. I experienced a couple of early failures to feed before I decided to stop and clean the pistol, which I should have done beforehand. After that, the little gun ran like a top with all three types of ammo.

The most noticeable thing about it was the trigger. Walther really got it right with the F-Series Dynamic Performance Trigger. I especially loved the short, audible reset that was easy to hear on the range. Any shots that didn’t hit where I intended them to certainly weren’t because of the trigger! The other great feature I really liked was the magazine well, which made reloads effortless, even on the clock.

The gun liked the Federal self-defense ammo best, yielding several three-shot groups between 1.75 and 2 inches. It was also quite accurate with both of the other loads, shooting the Winchester White Box slightly more accurately than the Federal Syntech load.

Since it is an F-Series pistol, we needed a woman to run some rounds through it, and that chore fell to my wife, Donna. What I soon realized after she shot through the first magazine was that I wasn’t getting the gun back for the rest of that particular range trip. With the smallest backstrap, the gun fit her hand perfectly. Additionally, she could easily reach the trigger with her normal grip. Once she finished shooting the gun, she gave it two thumbs up—along with we need to buy this pistol!

Ultimately, any gun test comes down to what the gun is good for, and the PDP F-Series PRO 4-inch has plenty of appropriate uses. Whether you are a competitive shooter, law enforcement professional, or looking for a great pistol for carry or home defense, this little pistol checks all the boxes as one you should take a look at.   

H&B’s THE BOTTOM LINE is a rating system combined with useful commentary on the following aspects of the test gun. Each of the seven criteria gets a 1 to 5 score. Max score is 35. 

ERGOS & HANDLING: &&&&&

The gun feels solid in the hand and handles like a dream. It’s also heavy enough to have minimum muzzle flip with standard 9mm ammo.

RECOIL: &&&&&

The well-textured grip makes getting a good hold on the gun easy, and I found the magazine well helped stabilize it in my hand. Recoil was typical for a 4-inch 9mm pistol.

ACTION & RELOADING: &&&&&

Like other Walther pistols, the action was super smooth. Additionally, reloading, which isn’t necessary often with 18+1 capacity, was a cinch with the flared mag well, even when reloading in a hurry.

SIGHT MOUNTING EASE: &&&&

The 3-dot white sights are functional but fairly plain. The pistol is also optics-ready, though, for those who prefer a red-dot sight.

INTENDED PURPOSE: &&&&&

With the goal of producing a top-quality pistol, Walther has achieved that with this model. In testing, I found little to fault with the gun.

OVERALL VERSATILITY: &&&&&

This is a multi-purpose gun that would please anyone from competition shooters to concealed carry practitioners. It would also make a great nightstand gun for those using it for home defense purposes.

VALUE-PRICE POINT: &&&&

At an MSRP of $929, it’s a little pricier than some similar models, but it’s also better than most. Fortunately, it can be found at retail closer to the $600 mark.

The Bottom Line Total: 33/35

• Caliber: 9mm  
• Barrel: 4 inches
• OA Length: 7.25 inches
• Weight: 24 ounces (empty)
• Sights: White 3-dot
• Action: Striker-fired semi-auto
• Grip: Textured black polymer
• Finish: Black slide and trigger
• Capacity: 18+1
• MSRP: $929
• Website: waltherarms.com

This 124-grain, purpose-made self-defense round features a jacketed hollow-point bullet designed to expand reliably through a variety of barriers without over-penetrating. Best of all, my test PDP F-Series liked this bullet a lot!